The atmosphere in the room was tense. It was never cheerful during emergency meetings, even less now. There was no talking and the corners of the room were filled with shadows and silence fed by timid looks and nervous whispers exchanged between the members of the council.
Everyone had arrived today. Most were carrying the family name in one way or another, only a few were totally unrelated. Those poor unfortunate souls were probably the most nervous, glancing around like rabbits on a field, ready to flee at any given time. They counted the steps to the nearest door or window, however painfully aware that they’d never make it in time. Even if they did, somewhere out in the darkness lurked the beast of the Vorlon family. A whisper in the shadows, a swallowed gasp before an untimely death. Most were afraid of its name, some questioned its existence altogether. Those who had seen it froze in fear for the mere memory, breathing out its name from between their shaking lips; Betelgaeze.
A door opened. It creaked as if moaning in pain, letting in two men and a woman. The other one of the men stopped at the end of the table, looking around at the gathering. His piercing red eyes like two skinned glowing bloody pieces of unholy flesh made sure to take a pause at everyone before any words were said.
”I see you have all arrived”, he spoke softly and gently as if he was talking to a child. ”How happy I am.”
There were so many nervous swallows at once it sounded like the building itself was questioning whether or not it should pick up its foundations and run.
”My lord”, said one of those around the table. ”Are the rumors true?”
A deep silence fell. It was so uninterrupted and thick you could have chopped it into pieces and sold at a good price to public elementary schools. The emperor stared at the one who had spoken and eventually managed to hiss out: ”Indeed they are true.”
For a brief moment people around the table burst into whispering. Some doubtful, some shocked. The emperor let them talk for a while before raising his hand and silencing everyone with the gesture. As the silence fell again he took a breath, continuing with a clear, cold voice: ”I assume everyone here understands why I summoned you at this unusual hour. There can be no doubt about our need to respond immediately so such gruesome, such immoral, such horrible deeds are never again targeted towards us. Everyone knowing something, everyone even slightly possibly connected with the assassination of my daughter Fabrizia are to be brought to me and interrogated.”
The woman standing at the left side of the emperor made a suffocated sound. She seemed young, a lot younger than most vampires in the room, and sorrow and hate were etched on every inch of her face. The emperor glanced at her briefly, but said nothing.
”Should you know something, or should you know someone who could know something”, the emperor continued soon, with a voice soft like satin ”, you are all very free to contact Francesco and share your thoughts. As a matter of fact, you are expected to do so in any case. Just a precaution, obviously.”
If the faces around the table were pale before, they now reached a whole new level of complete discoloration. The door opened again and yet another man entered. Black shades covered the two bottomless voids that were his eyes. There was something very wrong in his mere presence, and that was a lot to say by a group of blood sucking beasts.
”I’d be happy to hear about your whereabouts on the exact day”, the emperor said. ”Not that I am suspecting any of you. My friends. My sisters and brothers.”
He smiled in a way that stopped hearts.
”My family.”
The woman made another sound. This time, without even looking her way, the emperor nodded to his Head Of The House still standing on his right side, silently: ”Alphonso, take her out.”
Alphonso, who was genuinely looking like this was the best command he had gotten during the whole day, escorted the young woman out of the room. As the door shut, the emperor took a sharp breath and sat down on his chair. Slowly, each one of the council members followed him. All but one, who seemed to have frozen where he stood.
”Ah”, the emperor said, crossing his hands. ”Do I judge correctly if I assume you have something to say?”
”I… I might… have.”
”I thought so”, the emperor nodded. ”Therefore I already sent a party at your house. I couldn’t be sure if you’d be here. I am positively surprised.”
Terror widened the eyes of the man standing.
”My lord”, he gasped and started to shake. ”I… I am begging you. My family has nothing… there was nothing… I don’t know…”
”My dear Giorgio, there is no need to be so tense. Your family is in good hands. Depending on your news, they might even have their own hands left after this meeting.”
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